Bummer of a Week

I need to make this short, but this has been a bit of a bummer of a week.

• I've been ultra-tired this week and had several headaches - even fell asleep on our date night watching a Louie Giglio sermon (I almost never fall asleep like that).
• 3 of my 4 kids have been sick.  K might have mono.  S has thrown up twice this week.  The boys have both had diarrhea.  And it all started last Friday when S came down with the flu, followed by T on Saturday.
• Because of the sickness, we have cancelled our Spring Break trip to Nebraska to visit my 86-year-old Grandma.
• And then on Tuesday, March 11, my friend David Lloyd passed away in a freak accident.  It's been a humble privilege to be with the family this week as they grieve and I am amazed at their faith in Christ as they walk through this.  I have the honor of officiating Dave's memorial service tomorrow and am praying that not only do I honor Dave and the life he lived, but also Jesus Christ, who was David's Savior, even though Dave chose many times to live in ways that didn't honor God.  Dave was one of the first young adult guys I met when I moved to Cedar Rapids, and even though we only talked 3 or 4 times a year the last couple of years (partly because he spent 11 months in Iraq) and he wasn't always making God-honoring choices, I truly loved Dave.  Most everyone who met him couldn't help but love the guy.
• And just now as I finished the above paragraph about Dave, I just got a phone call that a friend has "lost his wife" - she's leaving him.

I know, compared to people in Kenya or Chad or other places facing genocide and civil wars, this is nothing.  But it still wasn't a pleasant week.

And then last night at Watershed's worship gathering, to end our time of worship together, we sang "Blessed Be The Name".  I love that song, but the "dark" parts had more power in them as I sang...

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name 

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

lyrics by Matt Redman

Listening Loves

I generally don't prefer to repeat experiences. In other words, I rarely watch a movie a second time or reread a book. It also explains why I rarely listen to the radio because I get sick of hearing the same 40 songs over and over.

But when something really grabs me (like Cloverfield which I watched a second time in theaters on Sunday night - thanks for letting me introduce it to you, James!), I'll give it a repeat.

I've been listening to Hillsong's latest worship album (which came in my "Relevant Network Kit" Winter 2008 box) entitled Saviour King. The CD has practically been on repeat at my home, and I've often found myself pulling it up on my iPhone while I am in the car. I wake with the songs in my head (and they aren't driving me crazy yet!) and find myself having impromptu worship moments throughout my day. It's been a while since a worship CD has grabbed me like this.

While I'm talking about what I've been listening to, I've also been enjoying Robbie Seay Band's Give Yourself Away album. And I've come to like Brandon Heath's Don't Get Comfortable CD because my 10-year-old daughter likes it.

And I've also really been enjoying listening to Andy Stanley's sermons as of late. And Erwin McManus' "Intersections" series about billboards was far better than I expected.

So if you are wanting some new things to listen to in the car, at home, or on your iPod, there are some things I've been loving to listen to and recommend to you!

The Deeper Meaning

I wrote this last Saturday night intending to post it and I am finally getting around to it:

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Feb. 23, 2008

In May 2006, I was in Colorado Springs at a Navigator training. We were hoping to bring 2-4 “collegiate staff” we would hire to the training the following year. (Unfortunately, we did not find the staff, and so are currently praying about how to proceed with the vision to get on to the campuses.)

While in the Springs, I was reading through the book of Joshua found in the Hebrew Scriptures (also known as the Old Testament). In chapter 3, the Israelites are prepared to cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering in the desert.

The river was at flood stage as it tells us in verse 15. But God instructed the priests carrying the ark to walk into the water, and when they did so, he would stop the waters and they would be able to cross. This is a great lesson in faith.

But that’s not my point with this. My point has to do with verse 16 (and have you ever noticed how many “3:16s” there are in the Bible with significant theological ideas in them?). When the priests step into the river, the water stops at a certain city. And Joshua records for us the city’s name – Adam.

When I first read this while sitting on a rock in the beautiful Colorado spring air, I knew there had to be a deeper meaning. Why was the city name recorded? Something told me it had to be tied to the man we see in Genesis chapters 1-3 (with mentions in 4 and 5), but I couldn’t put my figure on it. I talked with some people about the passage, but a “deeper meaning” seemed to elude them as well.

Today I am at Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca with the Sr. High Winter Retreat. One of my friends is the main speaker, and I somehow ended up the worship leader for the retreat (still haven’t quite figured out how that happened – but things have gone well, so it must have been God’s doing). I was up earlier than I expected to be this morning, so I spent some time reading in the Scriptures and journaling as part of the 30-Day Challenge our church is going through as part of our Embracing Faith Stewardship Campaign.

After reading the Scriptures and journaling some thoughts, I decided to pull out the book I’ve been reading. My administrative assistant lent it to me. It’s called “Stripped” and is written by Jud Wilhite, a pastor of a large church in the Vegas area. It’s about the uncensored grace God has given many people in Vegas and how their lives have turned around. It’s an inspiring read to be reminded of the amazing grace God gives and how it radically changes who a person is when they truly embrace His grace.

In the closing chapter, Jud mentions the Joshua 3:16 passage. While Jud used the passage to talk about God working “upstream” where we can’t see where he is doing the miracle, I suddenly had an epiphany about the deeper meaning.

In Ezekiel 47, there is a river that is the central character. I am convinced the river is Jesus Christ. The river comes from the temple (the place of God’s presence), passes by the altar (the place of sacrifice), goes through the east gate (where only God was allowed to go (see Ezekiel 44:1-2), and brings life wherever it flowed. Through Scripture we know that Jesus came from Heaven (the place of God’s presence), went through the cross (the place of Sacrifice), is God in the flesh (so would be allowed to use the east gate), and brings life (see John 10:10).

So in Joshua 3:16, it suddenly dawns on me that the Jordan River (where Jesus was baptized, by the way) might represent Jesus or life. And it is through Jesus’ death (his life being stopped up) that we can cross over to life, to the Promised Land.

But why did it stop at a city named Adam? Because it was through Adam the man that death entered the scene when he sinned in the Garden of Eden (Romans 5:12-21). And so “Adam” stopped life. But what Satan intended for evil when he tempted Eve in the Garden, who then gave the fruit to her silent husband, God used to redeem his people. Life was stopped by Adam’s sin, but God turned it around and used death (the death of Christ) to allow His people to crossover to life, rather spiritual life (a spiritual Promise Land) - the kind of life that really matters.

And so I finally saw it – the deeper meaning. This has happened to me so many times (the Ezekiel 47:1-12 section is another example). I read a passage and miss the deeper meaning, and then weeks, months, (or in this case) years later I finally have insight.

So tonight (during our hour-long “supper” of feasting on God’s Word while fasting from physical food), when I struggled through Galatians 3, primarily verse 16 (there it is again – 3:16!) and Paul’s discussion of seed/seeds, I know I will eventually understand the deeper meaning. It just might take longer than I want!

Playing Catch Up

I've had lots of blog post ideas the past couple of weeks, but haven't carved out the time to sit at my computer and pound them out on my MacBook Pro's keyboard. So here are some random snippets from my mind to share my thoughts and catch my 3 readers up on my life:

• Saw Cloverfield. LOVED it way more than I expected.
• I'm loving the 30-Day Challenge so far!
• I still like snow, but I'm sick of shoveling. I'm allowing God to teach me how to find joy in the monotonously bleached landscape all around and the pain that it brings to my back. I've decided that this winter is going to make me enjoy spring and summer more than ever!
  
• I'm tempted to start a PayPal account to accept donations for a snowblower.
• I'm learning about relativity. We've had probably 50-60 inches of snow this year (don't know the official total). My friend, Leo in Michigan, said on Sunday that they've had over 100 inches of snow so far.
• Relativity #2. My back hurts from shoveling. And yet my pain pales in comparison to the pain many people are feeling in the country of Chad and Northern Illinois.
• I've been out of touch. I didn't learn about the Northern Illinois tragedy until yesterday. Nor did I know about the hubbub over one of Barack's speeches. I have since turned my "scrolling news" screensaver back on.
• I'm still passionately in love with my wife, so I thoroughly enjoyed spoiling her for Valentine's. It's amazing how you can wow someone with a little creativity and little money.
• I don't like talking about budgets - whether home or church. But they are very, very necessary, so I grin and bear it.
• I need to start on Issue 2 of the new young adult newsletter The Connection.
• I'm reading Stripped right now. It's a quick read, and great to see God's grace lived out in the lives of some real humans who've tasted the worst side of life.
• My youngest son, T, is entering a really fun stage of life. Monday night I had him trying to do karate chops and kicks, complete with verbal sound effects.
• I also love the sound of laughter, especially when it comes from my kids.
• And now I'm late for a meeting. Gotta go!
  

Verse of the Week: Isaiah 46:8

Last weekend during the Watershed Retreat (which by the way was fantastic), we got one hour on Saturday morning to spend in the Scriptures. We had 6 different passages we could read and journal through and I chose Isaiah 46.

The first 7 verses, God discusses two topics: idols and loving care. God uses "mothering language" in terms of his love for his people. Just as people will carry and support a newborn, God does that for us through our old age - meaning he is always with us caring for us. He made us, so he support us.

Then God mocks the idea of idols - "gods" fashioned from gold or wood that simply sit on a shelf doing nothing. In contrast, God is active and moving, working on behalf of those who love Him and bow before Him.

And then verse 8 drops in to our reading gaze. I love how the NET Bible translates the first half of the verse:

"Remember this, so you can be brave!"

Remember THIS: That God is with you, caring for you, every day of your life - He made you, He supports you. Remember that He is not like an idol who sits still and is useless - He is active, moving, working on your behalf.

Keep in mind this was originally written to people in exile - they weren't in the best of circumstances. In fact, it probably sucked (sorry, this is the unedited version today...), but they could be brave because God is God. As the next verse says, He has no peer - there is none like Him. And so they could stand firm (as the ESV puts it).

I was so moved by this passage of Scripture that I used it to start the prayer time in the worship services at New Covenant's 46th St. Campus. Someone who heard it on Sunday called my house and left a message saying that she was so moved by the verse that she shared it with 2 other people. Then someone else asked to be reminded of where the passage was found again because their daughter needed to hear that verse. Then I sent it to a friend whose family is caught up in the midst of the political crisis in Chad, Africa and he shared it with family and blogged about the verse. Then I shared it with a gal Thursday night who is in intense pain in her shoulder and is looking at surgery in the next 3 weeks.

It seems that everywhere I've turned all week I've either heard how this verse has ministered to someone or has needed to be shared to be ministered to someone. It seems to be the verse of the week right now.

And so for you: what circumstance do you find yourself in where you have fear or doubts? Remember that God is God, He loves you, He knows you, He is for you, and He is actively working around you. So you can be brave.

"What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:31-32 - NIV)

30-Day Challenge

Tomorrow begins the 30-Day Challenge here at New Covenant. I am really excited about it! But before I talk about the 30-Day Challenge, let me share what has led to my excitement and anticipation.

We are starting a stewardship campaign to raise the funds necessary to begin construction of a new facility. We have outgrown our current facility, maximizing it as much as possible trying to delay the inevitable. And so the day has finally come for us to raise the funds to make a move.

I have to be honest - I do not get excited about building projects. I don't get excited about budgets. I don't get excited about talking about money (especially other people's). But what has me excited in the middle of these things is the fact that I am part of a church family that has decided to keep the focus on Christ. This isn't about a building. This isn't about making a name for ourselves. This is truly and honestly about Christ and pursuing God's will. I have been so impressed with our elders and staff - the humility with which they have approached this project, the planning and prayer that has been poured into each step of the process, and the grace with which they have moved forward knowing there might be some who would question their motives and leadership. New Covenant is so blessed to have the skilled godly men of character we have leading this church.

To help our church family have the same focus the elders and staff have as we move into this Embracing Faith Campaign, we have decided to have a "30-Day Challenge". Each person in the New Covenant family is being challenged to read a selected Scripture passage each day for the next 5 weeks. These passages have been carefully selected to help us keep our focus on Christ and to honestly ask God what He wants to accomplish through each of us.

And so the idea of our church family all reading the same passages, being impacted together by God's Word as we enter this critical time in our church's history, has me extremely excited.

But it also has me nervous. The idea of honestly saying to God "what do you want to accomplish through me?" means I have to be ready to surrender anything to Him. What am I going to be asked to sacrifice? I don't know. But I do know that usually great sacrifice brings great joy and reward.

If you are part of Facebook, feel free to become a "fan" of the 30-Day Challenge. We'd love to have you join us!

Praying for Kenya and Chad

I am not a news junkie, but I dip into the news enough to know what is sort of going on in the world. Every so often I'll hear of wars and conflicts around the globe, and it stops at that - information I have gained. But when you have a personal connection to the fighting, your interest changes.

My friend Adele is a missionary in Kenya, working with ELI. Kenya has been in turmoil ever since the December elections. Before, I would have never given much thought to what was happening in Kenya. Now I pray with my kids for Adele almost every night and almost every time I read her blog.

Then on Sunday, a friend of mine here at New Covenant shared a prayer request for his home country of Chad, Africa. Rebels had charged into the city and were trying to overthrow the president. My accountability partner, Nate, is also from Chad, and I've been following the situation via his wife's blog. Now the families of my friends, the country, and the Church in Chad have appeared in my prayers as well.

You may not have the connections I do into these countries, but would you still pray? Pray for peace. Pray for the churches in these areas to stand up for righteousness, for God's creation of people, and for the truth of Christ, and that they will be able to help their neighbors in this time of need.

AP Photo taken from Yahoo! slideshow on Chadian Unrest

The Value of a Human

I'm sitting here at the Starbucks on 1st Ave. across from Best Buy working on my third Baggage message for tonight's Watershed Worship Gathering. The very cool Austin Oates is here doing homework (I had the privilege of officiating Austin's wedding a month ago to the beautiful Cailey Oates). The awesome Jason Pagel is working behind the counter. Two pastors are to my left having an accountability group. Two elderly women are preparing to leave after spending a wonderful hour in conversation with each other. But the person who really sticks out at this moment is the man on the cell phone directly in front of me.

He is obviously a recruiter of some type. He is talking quite proficiently about several high school boys and their athletic progress. Most of the mention is about baseball, so perhaps he is an evaluator for Perfect Game, or a college program, or perhaps even a major league scout.

I'm not trying to listen in (I've been working pretty intently on my message up to this point), but I can't help but over hear portions of what he is saying. He is expertly talking about these young men and their skills on the ball field. But much of what he is saying is about their abilities, their commitment to the game, their results on different tests, and more.

But nothing is being said about WHO these young men are. What kind of character qualities do they have? What do they like and dislike? Who are they as humans?

I'm not saying the gentleman (or even the unseen person on the other side of the phone) doesn't value these boys as people, but much of what is being said doesn't give that impression. They are only worth their talents and work ethic to these two (based on what I'm hearing). These boys are merely commodities to be traded, bought, or ignored to achieve the goals of others.

While the boys involved have a choice about whether they pursue more baseball or move into something else, there are people in this world who are treated as commodities that are traded, bought, or ignored in order to achieve the selfish, sinful goals of others. Whether you realize it or not, there is an entire underground industry of human trafficking currently operating all around the globe. Hundreds of thousands of people, mostly women and children, are exchanged for money to fulfill the sick wishes of some "owner".

If this makes you even half as sick as it makes me (and I'm not nearly as outraged about the issue as I probably should be), you'll be interested to know that in May there is a conference right here in Cedar Rapids on the issue of human trafficking. I don't know exact dates, location, times, or speakers, but after hearing a couple of interviews with Gary Haugen of International Justice Mission during the past year, I am interested in learning more and knowing how I, as part of Christ's Church, can help protect the true value of a human life. Once I know more, I'll post it here. But 'til then, ask yourself, "what is the value of a human?"

Vote for Compassion!

It's time to exercise your vote! No, not for THAT election, but for one just as important.

Compassion International has been nominated for the MySpace Impact Awards in the "Poverty Relief" Category. LeAnn and I have been compassion sponsors since we were married (we currently sponsor two sisters from Tanzania) and can vouch for their ministry. I'd love to see them win the $10,000 prize because I know they will use it right.

So if you have a MySpace login, go to the Impact Awards page and vote for Compassion. (Note: I couldn't see the voting buttons in Safari 3, but I could in Firefox.)

By the way, I was thrilled to see Blood:Water Mission as the Dec. 2007 winner of the MySpace Impact Award!

Baggage Series

I normally post Watershed related posts on Waterblogged, but since I'm posting my personal thoughts on this one, I thought it would be best to put here.

I starting a new 4-week teaching series tonight at Watershed entitled "Baggage". I'll be teaching about how our past affects who we are and how to keep our past from weighing us down and keeping us from living emotionally and spiritually healthy productive lives.

Since I don't possess the wisdom to completely overcome past issues, I'm turning to the Scriptures. We'll be looking at the story of Jacob found in Genesis over these 4-weeks. Tonight simply introduces the story and Jacob's baggage.

I'm also sharing the story of a friend of mine from my past. I reconnected with "Jill" (not her real name) recently and found out some of the baggage she has had during the past 2 years as she endured her husband's marital unfaithfulness and subsequent divorce. Her story, while incredibly difficult, I think will give hope to many people. She wrote some very beautiful things to me to share with those who will listen, and as I let more of her story slip each week, I think others will be amazed at how she responded and will hopefully do the same.

I have to admit I'm a bit excited about this series. I probably get this way about ever teaching series I do, but I think this could be a "watershed" event in some people's lives. Today's preparation didn't go nearly as smoothly as I had hoped (sermons seem to be like giving birth to me - I'm in labor, it's hard work, and I never quite know what I'll give birth to!). So I'm not as excited about tonight as I was yesterday. :o)

If you happen to read this before 7:30 pm Central time, would you pray for me? And even if you read this after 7:30 pm tonight, you can still pray for further weeks. There is a good chance the series will be posted online, so you can subscribe to the podcast if you so desire.

I am very thankful that God has spared me some of the deep emotional and spiritual baggage many people seem to carry around. While I still have some to deal with, it is so nice to not be bogged down with past sins. I only hope that many of the young adults who will hear this 4-week series will come to a similar place in their own lives and sense God's peace and freedom in their hearts and minds.